Date: 10/20/2024

Morgan stared at the sky. It was... normal. The same bright blue that always hung over the city. But something felt off, and the unease gnawing at him since the morning wouldn't let go. He fiddled with his earbuds, half listening to a podcast as he made his way to his car. It was a routine—one he could do blindfolded by now. Yet, there it was. That strange, nagging feeling. Something was about to happen.

Then it did.

It wasn't like in the movies. There was no explosion, no warning, just—nothing. One second, the world was there, and the next? Gone.

Morgan blinked. What the hell?

The sky wasn't blue anymore. It was darker, like it had been washed with ash. The towering skyscrapers that once framed the city were gone, replaced by massive mountains that shouldn't have existed. The ground beneath his feet wasn't concrete. It was rough, blackened earth, uneven and cracked, like it had been burned over centuries.

He yanked out his earbuds, but the silence was crushing. No more traffic. No more people.

What just happened?

Morgan wasn't the only one standing frozen in place. People were scattered around, looking just as confused, some outright panicking. A woman nearby had already dropped her groceries, her face pale as she muttered, "This can't be real..."

He wanted to say something—anything—but before the words could leave his mouth, the ground trembled beneath him. He barely kept his balance as a low, bone-shaking rumble spread through the air. He didn't know what it was, but he knew one thing for sure: it wasn't friendly.